Talking to Myself
by TheGoldman
Summary: "It's hard to get the terminology right, when it's a conversation between me and me. You'd think we'd be more used to it, considering how many times we've ended up meeting our other faces."


AN: I don't own Doctor Who.

-.-Begin-.-

"Hello there. I'm the Doctor, Time Lord of Gallifrey. Check your records, you might find me under Storm, comma Oncoming. You're threatening the wrong planet here." A buzzing sound, and a sonic screwdriver shot forward, swinging around and causing the aliens' weapons to spark and combust in their hands. The Doctor threw the sonic screwdriver into the air, catching it with the other hand, before using it to trigger the teleport of all the aliens bar their leader. The Doctor then leant forward, and with a wink, whispered theatrically. "This is the part where you run away."

The Doctor smirked as the alien dropped its useless weapon in terror, jabbing desperately at the short-range teleportation device. It seemed like a past version – or maybe even a future version – had encountered this species before, and their race remembered their personal past. It was a good job, too. While the handheld weapons were easily disabled by a sonic, there weren't any plans in place to take care of the giant death laser aimed at the planet. Thankfully, bluffing had always been one of the Doctor's skills.

The Doctor jogged lightly back to the TARDIS, clicking fingers to open the doors, closing them with another click after passing through. A jacket was thrown casually over one of the railings around the control console, the sonic was dropped into a holder, and the Doctor's hands began manipulating the buttons and dials on the console expertly.

A sudden lurch threw the Doctor away from the console. "What have you got for me this time, darling?" The Doctor cried out, leaning forward to lay a hand on the gravitational stabilizer. Pulling the lever, the TARDIS lurched once more as it rematerialized.

"Where have you landed me?" The Doctor muttered, as the sonic screwdriver popped back out of its holder. It was immediately slipped behind the Doctor's ear, as the Doctor grabbed both doors, pulling them open.

"It can't be … you?"

-.-.-

The Doctor turned around, sonic screwdriver raised at the sound of a rematerializing TARDIS. Why would she teleport herself away from where he'd parked her? She never did that, not unless there was some threat that would cause her to displace herself. He frowned, however, at the look of her. His TARDIS didn't look like this, there definitely wasn't a St. Johns Ambulance sticker on the door of his TARDIS.

"It can't be … you?"

The Doctor's eyes met the woman who'd just opened the TARDIS door, and he immediately recognized something in her. A spark, a corona of lights sparkling in her iris. He knew her, he knew he did. It took a few seconds, before he knew who she was.

"Are you the next version of me?" He asked, glancing at her outfit. It was just the sort of anachronistic outfit he'd choose, a twenty-first century style shirt and jeans, with a formal waistcoat and pocketwatch. A pair of goggles hung around her neck, and sturdy combat boots rounded off the outfit. Her sonic screwdriver was tucked behind her ear, partially concealed by her long, TARDIS-blue hair.

"Not quite." She smiled at him fondly. "I've had three faces since I was you, and it's been quite the adventure."

The Doctor frowned, pulling out his 3D specs to look at her. "But, if you're me …"

The other Doctor giggled – actually giggled – at him. "Spoilers!" She cheerfully said, causing his frown to deepen. That was exactly what the other strange woman – River Song – had said to him.

"You know her?" He asked.

"Of course I do, she's our w–" She cut herself off, remembering something. "You've only met River the once, haven't you? In the Library?"

The Doctor nodded, folding away his glasses and slipping them into a pocket of his overcoat. "That's right. She was brilliant, whoever she was."

"Is." The other Doctor corrected him. "She's a big part of your – our – future." She ran her fingers through her hair. "It's hard to get the terminology right, when it's a conversation between me and me. You'd think we'd be more used to it, considering how many times we've ended up meeting our other faces."

Both Doctors laughed at that. "That's certainly true." The Doctor put his sonic screwdriver into his pocket, glancing again at her sonic. "Why's your screwdriver behind your ear? Do we give up on pockets?"

The other Doctor laughed again. "No, this wasn't by choice. Not at first. After my last regeneration, I had to get some clothes from an Earth store. Turns out, women's clothing doesn't have pockets. Remember that, when you're me. Anyway, I had to tuck my screwdriver behind my ear, and my psychic paper in my bra. By the time I got back to the TARDIS and her wardrobe, I found that carrying the sonic behind my ear was more convenient than a pocket most of the time."

The Doctor thought about it for a second, and shrugged. "Not for this face, I think. Maybe the last one might have been able to – remember those ears! – but I don't think it suits me."

She smiled wistfully, remembering another old favourite face, before brushing her hair back out of her face again, revealing a birthmark above her eye. "Maybe it doesn't suit you." She agreed. "It will one day, don't worry."

"I'm not going to remember this, am I?" The Doctor asked.

The other Doctor nodded, a sorrowful look settling on her face for the first time. "I didn't remember running into me. If I did, everything would change."

"In that case, I have to ask." The Doctor said, curious as to what his future held. "How do I have three more faces? I've been keeping count, and I'm on my penultimate face, I think. If my trick with the hand counts," The other Doctor nodded, causing him to sigh. "I only have one face left. Where do I get more regenerations?"

She smiled sadly at him. "You don't want to know the story, believe me. It involves parts of our future you aren't ready to deal with."

"Give me a hint." He pulled a pleading face, one that had worked before on Rose and on Donna.

"Trenzalore." The word sobered him immediately. "Trenzalore plays a part in how we get more regenerations."

"It does?" He asked, optimistic for once. It was something he'd done after the Time War, before he'd started travelling with Rose – looking up his grave. He never visited, not wanting to know how he died. It didn't matter, but he'd made a note to avoid Trenzalore forever.

"Geronimo, my friend." The other Doctor held her hand out for him to shake, and he shook it. "I loved being you, you know? You were brilliant. You always knew what to tell people, to reassure them."

"Best of luck, Doctor." He said, bowing to her.

"And you as well, Doctor." She curtsied, before stepping back into her TARDIS.

He raised a hand in farewell. As she left, he saw Ood Sigma again, flickering in his eyesight. It was time to move on, he realized, even as the memory began to fade in his mind. He had better head there now, find out why the Ood want to speak to him. All songs end, but the show must go on.

-.-.-

Immediately after his regeneration, another Doctor would vaguely remember a woman saying a word that seemed appropriate. As his TARDIS crashed, burning, through the skies of London, he yelled out a single word.

"GERONIMO!"

-.-End-.-

The idea of a female Doctor's been sticking in my head a lot recently, and there were a couple of things I really wanted to write. The first was a scene without using a single reference to a character's gender, which is kinda difficult with someone whose only name is the Doctor. I also wanted to do a multi-Doctor conversation. Hopefully it didn't get too confusing.

I fancast my female Doctor as Phoebe Waller-Bridge, who hopefully will be the next Doctor. I mean, they've hinted enough at a female Doctor, let's actually do it! She's a better fit than Kris Marshall, who wouldn't really be bringing anything new to the table as the Doctor.


End file.
